Filter bed filtration with filter bed cleaning



Jan. 11, 1944. c. LOSE, JR 2,339,084

FILTER BED FILTRATION WITH FILTER BED CLEANING Filed Oct. 4, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR 55 CHARLES LOSE, JR.

T A4 ATTORNEY Jan. 11, 1944. c osz JR 2,339,084

FILTER BED FILTRATION WITH FILTER BED CLEANING Filed Oct. 4, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 as F [0. 5.

' 5 FIG. 4.

, INVENTOR Z6 Clg ARLES LOSE, JR..

2; Q AWM A! ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 11, 1944 FILTER BED FILTRATION WITH FILTER BED CLEANING Charles Lose, J12, Cranford, N. J. Application October 4, 1340, Serial No. 359,657

'5' Claims.

This invention relates to filter-bed filtration with filter bed cleaning and more particularly to improved filtration apparatus including granular filter beds and means for cleaning such filter beds to enable continuous operation.

Heretofore, solid-bearing liquids, such as sewage, have been passed through settling apparatus and then supplied to filtration means comprising one or more filter channels or tanks provided with granular filter beds and these filter beds have been kept sufficiently clean for substantially continuous service by use of suitable cleaners adapted to clean portions of filter beds directly thereunder and to be moved from a cleaned area of the bed to another area without any substantial interference with continuous operation of the filter beds. Also in some forms of such apparatus, settling has been effected in a round clarification tank or basin and the liquid partly clarified by such sedimentation has been passed from the central tank into an annular filter channel or tank surrounding said clarification basin or tank and divided by a granular filter bed into an upper or infiuent section and a lower effluent or filtered liquid section, thus providing a filter bed arrangement making it very convenient to clean the filter by means of a filter bed cleaner which may travel around the tank, cleaning successive portions of the filter bed as it travels along the same.

An important object of the invention is to provide improved filter-bed filtration apparatus of the general character to which reference has been made. Another object is to provide improved methods I A further object is to provide for greater flexibility of operation of filtration apparatus of the type in which u e i made of annular filter beds, said filter bed cleaners to travel over said filter beds. filter bed cleaning means.

According to an approved embodiment of the invention, there may be a plurality of concentric filter beds arranged around a central area provided with a central support for one end of a bridge adapted to rotate about said support and to move individual cleaners along said concentric filter beds, said cleaners being preferably submerged (see Figs. 4, and 6) to avoid the building up of a front wave and the resulting disturbance of the surface of the liquid. With certain features of the invention, the presence or absence of a clarification basin in said central area may be immaterial whereas other features may relate to arrangements in which there is no central basin but a central island and the radius of the innermost filter channel may be as short as is practicable without interfering with the use of a travelling cleaner in such channel. This arrangement gives a compact form of multiple of granular filter-bed filtration. z

Another object is to provide improved bed filter and one in which the filter beds may readily be cleaned.

There may be a separate cleaner for each circular bed or section and each cleaner may be made effective or ineffective as desired. The liquid to be filtered may be supplied to the filter bed channels in any desired manner. For example when two concentric filter bed channels are arranged close together, the inner filter chamber may be supplied with liquid from a supply channel just at the inner side thereof and the outer chamber may be supplied with liquid from a supply channel just at the outer side thereof. Dirty water or wash water from the cleaners may be transferred inwardly along the bridgeand discharged into an annular dirty water channel in said central area and then discharged from the channel in any suitable manner. Water for use in the cleaners may be drawn from another annular channel in the island. The filter beds may be cleaned separately or at the same time.

Other objects, features and advantages will appear upon consideration of the following detailed description and of the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a section taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 but with the bridge turned through from its Fig. 1 position;

Fig. 3 is a section taken along-the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; 1

Fig. 4 is a section taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1 showing details of the apparatus on a larger scale;

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of F Fig. 6 is a view similar to the lower part of Fig. 4 but showing the parts in different relative positions; and

Fig. 7 is a section taken on the line |-'l of Fig. 5.

In the drawings, there is illustrated, moreparticularly in Figs. 1 and 2, apparatus comprising an annular main tank In having an outer wall fl, an inner wall 12 and a bottom l3. Inside the main tank 10 are two annular filter channels it and f5 separated from each other by a common separating wall I5 and having at their other sides, walls H and I8 respectively providing an annular infiuent channel I9 between th wall I"! and the outer main wall H, and another annular influent channel 2f) between the wall 18 and the main inner wall l2. The annular filter channel i4 is divided by a filter bed 2| of granular material, such as sand, into an upper infiuent portion' and a lower annular chamber 22 receiving the filtered effluent, and in the filter channel l5 there is a similar filter bed 23 with a lower filtered effluent chamber 24.

The infiuent, which may be sewage clarified by sedimentation, may be supplied through a duct or pipe to a box or chamber 26 at one side of the main tank Ill and may pass through openings 27 and 28 into chambers 29 and 30 respectively, the chamber 28 being connected with the influent channel it through an opening 3! in the wall H and the lower part of the chamber 30 which extends beloW the tank bottom I 3, being connected by a low-level duct 32 to the lower end of a duct 33 connected with the bottom of the inner influent channel 20. (Figs. 1 and 3.) From the influent channel 19, the liquid may pass into the filter channel M through openings or ports 34 in th wall H, which ports are suitably distributed around the wall ll. In the same general manner, liquid may pass from the influent channel 20 into filter channel l5 through opening or ports 35 in the wall l8.

As illustrated in Fig. 2, the filtered efiluent passes from the efiluent channel 22 through ducts T 36 into compartments 3'! of boxes 38 and flows over weirs-SQ at the tops of walls 4!! into compartments 4! of said boxes. Said compartments M are connected at their bottoms with a pipe or duct 42 which may also be connected with the bottoms of compartment 43 of boxes 44 similar to boxes 33, the compartments 4-3 receiving over weirs M at the tops of overflow wall 45, filtered efiluent passing from eilluent channel 24 through ducts 46 into compartments 41 separated from compartments 43 by the overflow walls 45. The filtered eiiluent may be discharged from the apparatus through a pipe 43 connected with one Both filter beds may bekept in continuous operation at the same time and may be cleaned as required or they may be used separately and. cleaned when desired. If only one filter bed is to be used the flow to the other may be cut off. Such control of the flow to the filter beds may be effected by gates 49 and 50 slidable across the outlet ends of passages 27 and 28 (left of Figs. 1 and 3) under control of rods 5| and 52, rotatably mounted in brackets 53 and 54 and supported by heads 55 and 53 resting on the tops of said brackets, the lower parts of said rods having screw-thread connections with lugs fixed to said gates o-r slides 49 and 50 respectively.

The cleaning of the filter beds 2! and 23 may be effected by any suitable cleaning devices arranged to travel therealong, but the novel form of cleaning means disclosed on the drawings is.

particularly advantageous for the purpose. As disclosed in the drawing, there are two cleaning devices 51 and 58, one for each of the filter beds 2! and 23 and these devices are carried by a bridge 59 supported at its inner end on a column 60 in a central space or island enclosed by the main tank, and at its outer end by two Wheels EH resting on rail or track 62 on the wall H.

The bridge 59 may be driven about the column 60 by actuating one of the wheels 6! by means carried on the bridge 59 and including an electric motor 53, a speed reducer 64 having a driving shaft 55, and a sprocket chain 65 connecting a sprocket wheel on the shaft 65 with a sprocket Wheel on a shaft EH of one of the driven Wheels 5|. Electric power for operating the motor 63 may be supplied through a cable 66* extending axially through the central column 60 and connected with the motor 83 through suitable slip ring connections (not shown) between the bridge 59 and the column 60.

The two filter bed cleaners 51 and 58 may be of the compartments 4! in a corresponding box suitable location through a pipe 82.

iii

similar. A preferred form of filter bed cleaner 5? is illustrated in Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7 as suspended from the bridge 59 over the filter bed i. i. This cleaning device 5? comprises a chamber or caisson 55 having side walls 6? and front and rear walls Sit and 69 respectively, the forward wall 68 being provided with an upwardly turned lip iii to guide material beneath such wall 68 into the caisson $5. The rear wall 59 may be provided with a flap H to form a seal With the filter bed and to smooth the granular material which has just been cleaned.

Cleaning of the filter bed material beneath the caisson may be effected by means similar in many respects to those disclosed in my copending icaticn Serial No. 329,026, filed April 11, 1940.; Such. means for agitating and cleaning sand in the caisson fit may comprise a manifold 52 to which water is supplied under pressures and from which water is forced downwardly through pipes lit to hollow cleaner teeth '54 preferably arranged substantially vertically. The liquid is directed upwardly through a nozzle 15 in each tooth so as to draw sand from the bottom of the filter bed into the tooth and force it upwardly to andout of the top of the tooth. As the granular material or sand passes out of the top of the tooth it may be deflected rearwardly by means of a deflector or finger it to fall to the surface of the bed behind the tooth.

In passing upwardly through the teeth and through the liquid in the caisson 68 the sand is cleaned, leaving the removed solids and other Waste material in the dirty water in said caisson. This dirty Water may pass through openings in the upper part of the rearward wall 69 into a collecting compartment ll from which it may be removed by means of a pump 78 and discharged through an upwardly extending pipe 19 into a generally horizontal pipe 80 which leads toward the inner end of the bridge where it discharges into an annular channel at surrounding the central columntt'. Dirty Water thus collected in the channel 8! may be discharged therefrom to any The pump it may be arranged with its axis vertical and may be suspended from the bridge 59 as illustrated in Figure 4, the pump being driven by means of an electric motor 83 having a driving connection with the shaft of the pump 78.

In order to furnish liquid under pressure to the manifold 72 there may be provided an annular channel arranged around the central column dd and, as shown in Figure 2, lying within the area enclosed by the annular discharge channel 8i. At one point in its circumference, the channel 8 is connected with the eflluent pipe d2 so that filtered liquid will be supplied to the lower part of the annular channel 84. Located in the channel 84 is a pump 85 suspended from the bridge and driven by a motor 86 vertically above the same. From the pump 65 the filtered liquid may be passed upwardly through a pipe al to a generally horizontal pipe 38 through Which i it fiows to a position substantially over the caisson 65. From the pipe 83 the liquid is passed through a flexible tube or hose 89 to the manifold 72, thus providing for the supply of liquid under pressure to the manifold without interfering with the upward and downward movement thereof. Preferably shown in Figure 5, the flexible hose 538 is connected at its discharge end with a pipe 96 havin branches d! extending towards opposite ends of the manifold 12 to which they are I connected.

Inasmuch as it may be desired to clean only one of the filter beds at a time, means may be provided for raising the manifold 12 and the teeth 14 suspended therefrom, to such a height that the cleaner will become ineffective. In order to provide for such upward and downward movement of the manifold 12 and the teeth supported thereby, the manifold is provided at its ends with projections 92 moving in a groove between vertical guides 92 (Figure 7). This arrangement enables upward and downward movement of the manifold l2 while maintaining guiding control thereof. Furthermore, in order to permit the upward and downward movement of the manifold 12, the top of the caisson 66 which as illustrated is submerged, may be formed with a fiap 93 pivotally hinged to the manifold 12 and resting on the stationary part of the roof of the caisson. This arrangement enables the upward and downward movement of the manifold and the teeth supported thereby without interfering with the function of the flap 93 which serves to keep the top of the caisson closed either in the position shown in Figure 4 or in the position shown in Figure 6, due to height of side walls 61. The submergence of the cleaners tends to minimize surface disturbance of the liquid about to be filtered.

The raising and lowering of the manifold 12 may be effected by means of rods 94 pivotally connected at their lower ends to the manifold 12 and connected at their upper ends, by means of eccentric straps, to eccentrics 95 fixed on a horizontal shaft 96 journaled in brackets 3'! carried by the bridge 59. Movement of the shaft 85 through 180 may move manifold 12 from its lowest level to its highest level or vice versa. Operation of the shaft 95 may be effected by means of a motor 88 connected through a speed reducer 98 to a shaft ma carrying a sprocket wheel ml, and the sprocket chain it connecting sprocket wheel llii to a sprocket wheel Hi3 on shaft 96. As a result of the use of a suitable speed reducer 88, it will be easy to control the motor so as to stop the eccentrics in their raised or lowered positions. The raising and lowering means just described is similar in many respects to the corresponding means disclosed in my said prior application Serial No. 329,026.

The cleaner 58 is similar to cleaner 51 and dirty Water in cleaner 53 is drawn therefrom by means including a pump (not shown) driven by a motor 83a, and is delivered to pipe 8t through which it is discharged into channel 8| connected to discharge pipe or duct 82. lowering of the manifold and teeth in cleaner may be effected by means of a motor 93a acting through a suitable speed reducer 99a.

The liquid to be filtered is supplied to the apparatus through the pipe and passes from this pipe into the box or chamber 26 from which it may flow into either one or both of the chambers 29 and through openings 2'] and 28 which may be closed by slidable gates 49 and 50,

While filter bed 2| is in use, the liquid passes from the chamber 29 into the outer infiuent channel Hi and through ports 34 in the wall l1, into the outer filter channel I4. The liquid sup- The raising and 5 plied to the filter channel passes downwardly through filter bed 2! into the chambers 22 at opposite sides of the main tank and through ducts 36 to compartments 31 of chambers or boxes 38, and is discharged from compartments 31 over weirs 39 into compartments 4| of said boxes 38. The bottoms of said boxes 38 are connected by a duct or pipe and the filtered liquid may be discharged from the apparatus through pipe 48 connected to one of said compartments 4|.

While filter bed 23 is in use, liquid passes from the bottom of chamber 39 through a duct 32, beneath the filter channels l4 and I5, and therefrom to the inner influent channel 20. From the channel 29 the liquid passes through ports 35 into inner filter channel I5 and through filter bed 23, chamber 24 and duct into compartments 41 of boxes 44. From compartments 41 the liquid is discharged over weirs 440. into compartments 43 connected to the pipe 42 which connects boxes 38, so that the filtered liquid may pass to and be discharged through pipe 48.

Both filter beds or only one of them may be used as required. Also either filter bed can be cleaned while in use. Assuming that only the outer filter bed 2| is to be cleaned, gate 49 would be open and gate 50 would be closed and unless the filter bed 2| were being cleaned, both manifolds [2 would be in raised positions with the lower ends of the corresponding teeth above the upper surfaces of the filter beds so as to avoid unnecessary disturbance of the granular material or sand. In order to start cleaning filter bed 2|, motor 98 would be operated to lower manifold l2 and teeth 14 of cleaner 5? to their Fig. 4 positions, motor 63 would be put into operation to move the bridge about the central column 60, motor would be started to actuate pump 85 and pass liquid to the teeth 74 of cleaner 21, and motor 83 would be started to withdraw the dirty water from the cleaner 5?. Upon completion of the cleaning operation the various pumps would be stopped as required and the teeth lifted from the filter bed.

Obviously, in cleaning the filter bed 23 alone, the operation would correspond to that followed in cleaning filter bed 2|. It will also be obvious that both filter beds may be cleaned at the same time. If desired, either filter bed might be cleaned while the flow of liquid thereto is shut off. Furthermore any desired number of concentric filter beds may be used with corresponding changes in the arrangement.

Inasmuch as the two cleaning devices or cleaners 51 and 53 are driven around the apparatus at the same time, the provision for lifting the sets of teeth it entirely out of the filter beds is of substantial value. For example, if only one filter bed is to be cleaned the teeth [4 associated with the other bed may be lifted above the same so that in their travel they will not stir up the bed and also less power will be required to move the bridge Furthermore, the lifting of the teeth entirely out of the filter beds will cause granular and other material in the teeth to be drawn therefrom so that the teeth will be relatively clean at the time they are lowered for use in another cleaning operation.

It should be understood that various features may be changed and that certain features may be used without others, without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a filtration apparatus, in combination, a plurality of concentric filter channels, annular filter beds of granular material one for each filter channel dividing it into an upper infiuent-receiving portion and a lower effluent chamber, means for supplying liquid to the infiuent-receiving portions of said filter channels, mean for withdrawing filtered effluent including a filtered effluent duct connected to all of said lower effluent 4.- aesaoea chambers, means for shutting oil the flow of liquid through any of said filter beds not to be used, traveling cleaners individual to said beds to enable independent cleaning thereof, nozzle devices in said cleaners, an annular wash-liquidsupply channel connected to the filtered eifiuent duct and concentric with said filter channels, an annular wash-liquid-discharge channel, means for selectively supplying to the nozzle devices of said cleaners under pressure liquid drawn from said Wash-liquidsupply channel, and means for selectively drawing dirty liquid from said cleaners anddischarging it into said annular wash-liquid discharge channel.

2. In a filtration apparatus, in combination, a plur of concentric filter channels, annular .eds of gr ,ila material one for ear lter channel dividi t into an upper ilfifiuenwreceiw ing portio and a lower effluent chamber, means y liquid to the infiuent-receiving porad fil' channels, means for withcred effluent from said lower effluent chambers, a bridge pivoted at the common of said filter channels, means for supporting the outer end of s 1 bridge and operating the same to turn it about said an annular discharge channel around said axis and provided with discharge pipe, traveling filter bed cleaner connected with. bridge and adapted to clean the granular material of the bed and leave the rcmoved solids in dirty water in the cleaners, and means for pumping the dirty water from the cleaners, passing it along the bridge and dis-- charging it into s .d annular discharge channel.

3. In a filtr on apparatus, in combination, two concentric nlter channels with granular filter beds dividing them into upper infiuent-1eceiving portions and lower ellluent channels, means for supplying infiuent to said infiuent-receiving portions, weirs individual to said channels over which the eiiluent flows from the efiuent channels, chambers into which said effluent flows from the weirs, a duct receiving effluent from the lastmentioned chambers, traveling filter-bed cleaners one over each of said beds, said cleaners using liquid under pressure, an annular wash-liquid channel at the inner side of the inner filter bed and connected to said duct, means for supplying liquid from said wash-liquid channel under pressure to said cleaners, and means for discharging dirty liquid from the apparatus including an annular dirty-liquid channel at the inner side of the inner filter bed and means for withdrawing dirty liquid from said cleaners and discharging it into said dirty liquid channel.

In a filtration apparatus, in combination, a plurality of concentric filter channels arranged around an island, annular filter beds of granular material one for each filter channel dividing it into an upper influent-receiving portion and a lower effluent cllamber, means for discharging efilucnt from said eliluent chambers to the outside of said apparatus, means for supplying liquid to the influent-receiving portions of said filter channels including influent channels adjacent to said filter channels and discharging into the influentreceiving portions of the corresponding filter channels, mean for selectively supplying liquid to said infiuent channels from a supply outside of said concen ric filter channels including for each infiuent channel at the inner side of the outermost filter channel a duct passing beneath said outermost filter channel, selectively actuable traveling cleaners one for each of said filter beds cleaning waste material from the granular material and leaving it in dirty liquid in the container, and means for removing the dirty water from the cleaners including an annular discharge channel in said island and selective means for drawing dirty liquid from said cleaners and discharging it into said discharge channel.

5.111 a filtration apparatus, in combination, two concentric filter bed channels, filter beds of granular material dividing said filter channels into upper influent-receiving portions and lower efliuent chambers, means for discharging to the outside of the apparatus effluent received in said effluent chambers, a supply channel at the outer side of the outer filter bed communicating with the infiuent-receiving portion thereof, a supply channel at the inner side of the inner filter bed communicating with the infiuent-rcceiving portion thereof, a supply chamber for liquid to be filtered located outside of the outer filter channel, a passage leading from said supply chamber to theouter supply channel, a passage leading from said supply chamber beneath the filter channels to the inner supply channel, means f0" cleaning the filter beds, an eliluent discharge duct extending across t e bottom of the apparatus beneath the effiuent chambers, weir-controlled connections from each effluent channel to said effluent discharge duct, and means for discharging effluent from said duct.

6. A traveling filter bed cleaner comprising an open-bottom caisson having a front wall, a rear wall, a top member fixed with respect to said front wall and extending rearwardly therefrom part way toward said rear wall, and side Walls; a pressure fiuid manifold at the inner face of said rear wall; sand-cleaning teeth supported by aid manifold and receiving fiuid therefrom, said manifold being movable relatively to said caisson downwardly to position the lower ends of said teeth substantially at the bottom of a granular filter bed being cleaned and upwardly from such lowermost position; a flap hinged to said manifold and resting on said top member so as to maintain a closed top for the caisson as the manifold is raised and lowered; and means for removing dirty liquid from said caisson.

7. A traveling filter bed cleaner comprising an openbottom caisson having a front wall, a rear wall, a top member fixed with respect to said front wall and extending rearwardly therefrom part way toward said rear wall, and side walls extending above said top member; a pressure fiuid manifold at the inner face of said rear wall; said cleaning teeth supported by said manifold and receiving fluid therefrom; said manifold being movable relatively to said caisson downwardly below said top member to position the lower ends of said teeth substantially at the bottom of a granular filter bed being cleaned and upwardly above said top member between the upper parts of said side walls; and a flap hinged to said manifold and resting on said top member so as to maintain a closed topfor the caisson as the manifold is raised and lowered, the forward part of said flap being inclined downwardly to permit the forward edge of said flap to rest on said top portion while the manifold is at a lower level than said top portion.

CHARLES LOSE, JR. 

